Frayed Nerves, Tied Knots
by lilmm
Summary: There is news of a wedding to take place the day of the annual planting festival, but is there one couple getting married or two?


**So, this is a story I wrote a couple of years ago to snap a friend out of a depression. It's been sitting on my flash drive ever since, taunting me with, "Am I really going to be the longest story you've ever written? Really?" and "Am I never going to see the light of day again?"**

**So, here it is, out in the light of day at least and serving as the perfect experiment to test my thus-far undeveloped posting skills. I'd love to hear what you think of it, for future reference if nothing else.**

**The story is set approximately six years after the events of the show, though little has changed besides the characters' ages.**

**Oh, and in case it wasn't obvious, I don't own Jane and the Dragon.**

* * *

><p>Rake took a breath, took a step, and then let the breath out in a sigh. He couldn't do this. For someone like him to ask something of the king…. No, it wouldn't work. He couldn't.<p>

Pepper was singing in the kitchen. Pepper. Right. Rake took another breath and managed to make it three steps this time before Jane's jeering voice floated over the walls and into the garden, stopping him again. Apparently, she and Gunther were sparring for the fourth time that day.

Jane was so brave, always going after what she wanted and fearlessly facing the consequences when they inevitably came crashing down on her shoulders. It couldn't be that difficult, surely. She did it all the time.

Rake took another breath and another two steps before a bird came careening out of the sky right at his head.

With a yell, Rake raised his arms and jumped out of the way, his wooden sandals clattering against the hard-packed earth as he landed on his rump. After a few seconds of cowering under his arms, Rake looked up to find the bird cheerfully digging a worm out of the ground ten paces from where he was sitting.

Who was he kidding? Rake was too simple and shy to ask anything for himself, and everyone in the castle knew it – most of all him. Nineteen years old and a failure.

Rake sighed in defeat and buried his face in his hands. It was hopeless.

* * *

><p>"Chamberlain," King Caradoc said in his most authoritative voice. "I want something exciting for this year's planting festival."<p>

"Yes, your Majesty."

The king paused briefly to admire the beauty of his royal gardens.

"We always have the same entertainments, year after year," he said, picking a flower from a nearby bush. "I want something new, something different!"

"I hear Jester is writing a new play, your Majesty. Something about lady knights and unrequited love, I believe," the Chamberlain suggested, hoping to distract the king from coming up with anything that would cost more money than usual.

"Lady knights?" the king asked. "Surely that's a play about our Jane. Excellent, excellent." He paused to admire his reflection in the water of the fountain. "I don't suppose she's told you of any young lad in particular that she has her eye on, eh? Anything she might have told you, as her father?"

The king looked like a child expecting a new present. The Chamberlain always felt awkward denying him.

"She has mentioned nothing to me, your Majesty. All her tales involve patrolling with Dragon, something amusing Dragon said, or her sword."

The king chuckled. "Yes, the pair of them do seem rather inseparable. Pity. Still, it's quite a stroke of luck that they should both be in my kingdom, eh Chamberlain?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Make sure Jester has that play ready by the end of the week. I intend to have it performed for the whole castle the afternoon of the festival. And maybe something else exciting. See to it, Chamberlain."

The Chamberlain bowed and left to begin the arrangements. He only hoped the king wouldn't go over budget this time.

* * *

><p>Jester plucked the strings on his lute, improvising a tune with half of his mind while the other half concentrated hopelessly on the pair of figures dueling in the training yard below him. He knew he was being pathetic. Six years was far too long to be subject to such a longing as his.<p>

Unrequited love: the biggest joke of them all.

He sighed and set his lute beside him. He wouldn't get any work done today moping about on the roof. Perhaps Smithy could distract him for a while. He did have a new set of jokes he wanted to try out on someone, and the blond man's dry sense of humor always inspired a new twist in his comedy. That decided, Jester slung his lute across his back and made for the heat of the forge, consciously refusing to look at Jane as he passed the training yard.

All was not as he expected when he arrived, however.

Smithy, broad shoulders slumped in thought and hair sticking up oddly at the front, sat quietly on his anvil staring at Pig. The animal was staring concernedly back.

"Smithy," Jester asked quietly as he came up beside him. "Is everything all right?"

"Do you think love changes people?"

Not expecting this response, Jester blinked and cleared his throat before answering.

"Well, I suppose it can. It all rather depends on the people involved, I should think. Why? You haven't got your eye on some lady, have you?"

"A lady?" Smithy replied distractedly. "No, no lady" he said. He still hadn't raised his eyes from Pig. Jester shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

"You ah, you haven't got anything you'd like to tell me, have you? About Pig?" Jester asked, dreading the response.

"Pig?" Smithy said, looking up at last. "What does Pig have to do with anything?" He looked genuinely confused.

Jester cleared his throat again. "Oh, erm, nothing. Nothing. What brought this about?"

Smithy glanced toward the gardens before answering.

"Rake's been acting very strange. All day he's begun walking in one direction only to stop, shake his head, and go back to what he was doing before. It's worse after Pepper comes out of the kitchen to talk to him; then he starts and stops walking three or four times before he goes back to his gardening again."

"Yes, that does sound strange," Jester agreed with a sigh. "I wasn't aware things had gotten so bad."

"He's never acted like this before."

"Well, they have been courting for over five years now," Jester said. "It had to happen sometime."

"So, you don't think he'll get over it, do you?"

"Probably not. There's only one cure for lovesickness once it gets this bad, and I'm afraid Rake hasn't the spine to do it, more's the pity. It would put us all out of his misery."

Smithy's bewilderment had clearly returned with friends if the look on his face was any indication.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Pig grunted in agreement.

"Well, it is fairly obvious he wants to marry her. Poor fool."

"Who's getting married?" Jane's voice asked from behind them. Jester's heart constricted in his chest as he turned to include her in their odd little circle. She was sweaty and flushed from fighting and plastered in dirt from a fall. She was gorgeous.

"No one is, but Rake is apparently making a fool of himself over Pepper again," Jester replied quickly.

"I see," Jane said with a laugh in her voice that made Jester's stomach flip.

"He didn't even flinch when Dragon flew overhead earlier," Smithy added calmly.

"That does sound peculiar." Jane's smile could light up a dungeon.

"Yes, I was just saying that he should ask the king for permission to marry her already and put us all out of his misery."

Jester loved it when Jane laughed, especially when she tried to cover up her snorting.

"Maybe you could talk to the king for him, Jane," Smithy suggested. "His Majesty does quite like you."

Jane's expression turned earnest.

"I couldn't do that, Smithy. It's not honorable. If Rake really wants to marry Pepper, he has to ask the king himself."

There was a clatter from a few yards away and they all turned to see a very pale Pepper standing with her hands covering her mouth. A bowl lay on the ground at her feet leaking some kind of stew.

"Is that true?" Pepper said breathlessly. "Does Rake really want to marry me?"

Smithy and Jester looked at each other guiltily.

"Of course he does, Pepper," Jane said assuredly. "He only worships the ground you walk on, after all."

"Well, he probably only worships it because he has some new plant he wants to grow in it," Pepper said fondly.

"Only because he thinks you've somehow improved it first," Jane said with a smile.

Pepper looked radiant with joy.

"Rake wants to marry me," she said to herself quietly. "Oh, Jane!"

The cook threw her arms around the taller girl and started dancing about the yard with her in delight. Wonderfully, it got Jane laughing again, but Jester couldn't help confessing the truth.

"Um, actually, while I'm quite sure Rake would love to marry you and all that, he uh, he hasn't exactly come out and said it."

Jester braced himself for yelling and possibly a little violence. You never knew with Pepper. She had deadly aim with a spoon. Smithy's quick intake of breath did nothing to help his nerves.

"Well of _course_ he hasn't said anything yet, silly," Pepper said, completely confusing the two men. "He must still be trying to get his nerve up to ask the king's permission. He wouldn't want to say anything until he actually had, now would he?"

Pepper sounded so sure of herself that it was all Jester could do to play along convincingly. Part of him was still waiting to be yelled at.

"Oh, I do hope he asks soon. It would be wonderful to have a May wedding. Maybe you could smooth the way a bit, Jane, just to speed things up? Oh, Rake!" This last was aimed at the gardener himself, who was just walking through an arch at the other side of the yard.

"Hello, Pepper," he said quietly when he came up to them. He and Pepper then stood gazing lovingly at each other, completely oblivious to all their friends around them.

"Well," Jester said, interrupting the moment for fear that the sappy smile on Jane's face would inspire him to do something he'd regret. "This is very lovely and all, but isn't dinner supposed to be happening soon? I'm famished."

"Yes, I am getting a bit hungry," Smithy agreed, reliable fellow that he always was.

"Oh! The soup!" Pepper exclaimed and quickly left to attend her duties in the kitchen.

"I'll help," Rake said, picking the bowl up off the ground and following her like a puppy. Jane giggled.

"I think you're right, Jester," Smithy said as they watched the pair leave. "He does have it bad."

Jester chanced a glance at Jane and sighed.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Merchant Magnus," the king said from his throne two days later. "I was wondering when you would bring us something interesting again."<p>

"Yes, your Majesty," the merchant said in his oily voice. "I've worked very hard to secure this just for you. Rare silks imported all the way from Rome. The best possible quality, sire."

"Ah good, the queen will be pleased. Excellent! And what about those special chests I asked for?"

"Awaiting inspection in the courtyard, your Majesty."

"Excellent!" the king relaxed into his throne with a small smile. He did so love it when things went according to plan. The chamberlain, off to the side, furiously wrote notes onto a scroll.

"Ah, Jane," the king said, noticing her approach with a nervous-looking gardener in tow. The merchant stepped aside grudgingly.

"Good afternoon, your Majesty," she said with a bow. The gardener bowed awkwardly beside her. "I beg your indulgence on a very important matter."

"Indeed," the king said, eying the gardener curiously.

"Yes. Rake has a question to ask you."

She turned and smiled encouragingly at the young man beside her, completely ignoring the panic that spread across his face at her words. King Caradoc wondered what the gardener had to say that had him so frightened.

Shaking like a rabbit, Rake looked at the king and squeaked.

"Well?" the king asked patiently. He saw Magnus shift and roll his eyes.

The gardener cleared his throat and tried again.

"I- I would like to ask for your permission to marry Pepper. The cook. Sir."

Rake looked to be on the verge of fainting after he spoke, but the king's face lit up like his children's on their birthdays.

"A wedding?" he said, excitement radiating from his every pore. "Two of my servants wish to be married? How marvelous! Chamberlain, it's just the event I've been hoping for. A wedding to finish off the planting festival. It's perfect!"

"Yes, your Majesty," the Chamberlain said.

"Um, sire," Jane said, glancing at Rake in concern. "We had rather thought to have a small ceremony in the vegetable gardens. Both of them are so much more at home there, after all, and-"

"Nonsense," the king interjected casually. "I love weddings. And every bride wants to put on a bit of a fuss. It's all part of the fun. This is wonderful!"

"Yes, sire."

Rake smiled weakly and wobbled.

"I'll have preparations started at once," the king said grandly. "Music, dancing, a feast –prepared by everyone else, of course. You and Pepper will sit as king and queen of the event. What fun!"

"Yes, sire," Jane said, visibly alarmed at the odd grey color her friend was turning. She quickly secured their dismissal and left the king to planning the big event.

None of them noticed the calculating look in Magnus's eyes.

* * *

><p>"The king wants to turn Rake and Pepper's wedding into some sort of carnival event?" Jester asked incredulously from his seat on the castle wall late that afternoon.<p>

"Yes," Jane said, throwing a pebble over the battlements. "It was horribly awkward. You know how he can get when he's excited about something. And poor Rake was about to die of embarrassment. It was bad enough we bullied him into asking."

"He wanted to ask anyway. It's not like he'll be marrying Pepper against his will."

"That's true," Jane said, not entirely convinced.

"And the end result will be the two of them married."

"If they can survive the wedding itself."

"Yes, there is that."

"I don't think Pepper will be at all pleased to have everybody else cooking while she sits by and watches."

"Well, she does have a good reason," Jester said. "All the food will probably end up half-cooked and burned on one side without her making it herself."

"Not all of us are so helpless in the kitchen as you are," Jane said playfully, smacking him on the arm.

"No, you're right," Jester said with a grin. "Smithy could make excellent rock cakes and you could do a lovely burnt salmon tart."

"That's not funny," Jane said with a laugh.

"No, but the idea of anyone in the royal family trying to help out with the feast is," Jester grimaced.

"The queen can cook," Jane said earnestly.

"A handful of dishes," Jester countered. "I hardly think she can make enough of everything to feed the castle and everyone who comes to the wedding from town."

"You do have a point," Jane conceded. "Especially if Prince Cuthbert decides he's hungry before the ceremony."

"And can you imagine the heart attack Rake is going to have being paid so much attention by so many people?"

"Oh dear," Jane said.

They looked at each other with expressions which very badly pretended that the wedding being planned was just what their two friends desired most.

"Why are you two looking so glum?" Dragon said, swooping down suddenly to land on the wall beside them. "You're not trying to make Jane do anything she doesn't want to do, are you, Floppy Hat?"

"No!" Jester said vehemently.

"Tell a bad joke?"

"No."

"Well, that's unusual."

Jester sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, looking out over the untilled fields. The setting sun was turning them a nice golden color.

"Dragon," Jane scolded fondly.

"What? It was just an observation. There's no need for him to take it personally."

Jester clenched his teeth and decided to observe everyone moving about in the courtyard instead.

"I didn't know the merchant was back," he said after a moment.

"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you; he was there when we asked the king."

"Asked the king what?" Dragon asked, poking his nose between the two. Jester glared as Jane absentmindedly placed a hand on his snout.

"We asked permission for Rake and Pepper to get married," Jane explained.

"Married?" Dragon asked. "Huh. Not interesting."

Jane rolled her eyes and looked over at Jester, but the comedian was staring suspiciously at the scene below them.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Oh, probably nothing. It just looks like Magnus is pressuring Gunther into something again."

"Then it's not nothing," Jane said worriedly. "Gunther always gets himself into trouble when he listens to his father. The man is a menace."

"And a greedy, good for nothing, full-gorged, lying pig-weevil," Dragon added.

"While I don't disagree, you only say that because you let him dupe you into buying that fake dragon claw last month," Jane said.

"He told me it was real!" Dragon objected.

"Because Magnus's word on anything is pure gold," Jester quipped.

"You short-lives don't understand anything," Dragon pouted and flew off in a huff.

The two humans indulged in smirks at his expense.

* * *

><p>Gunther was miserable. He was used to his father putting him in impossible situations, but this time he wasn't certain there was anything he could do to both remain happy and save face. The difficult man was speaking to the king this very minute.<p>

The squire slowly descended the steps into the kitchen, watching for any signs that his presence would not be welcome. Pepper and Rake were flirting by the fireplace again. Nothing unusual, then.

Gunther straightened his shoulders and took the remaining few steps with his usual swagger.

"Pepper, the king has asked me to test out the wine that will be served at the planting festival."

The two servants jumped guiltily and spun around. They really were like a pair of frightened rabbits half the time.

"Has he?" Pepper asked. "That's awfully strange. Sir Ivon was down here just yesterday for the same thing."

"Really?" Gunther asked, trying not to let the lie seep into his voice. "That is strange. His Majesty was most insistent-"

"It won't be a problem at all," Pepper said firmly. "You just sit down and I'll bring samples of each wine for you to try."

Gunther breathed a small sigh of relief and sat, purposely not noticing the wink she sent his direction as she left.

"It must be nice to be so close to the king," Rake said, taking a stool nearby. "I thought I'd die asking him for his blessing to marry Pepper."

"Yes. I heard. Congratulations," Gunther choked out.

"Thank you," the gardener said happily. "It's such a relief to have it out in the open now. Mind you, I'm still rather terrified about everything else, but at least that part's over with."

"Nn," Gunther grunted.

"Here we are," Pepper said cheerfully. She placed a dozen half-full skeins in front of him and produced goblets to go with each one. Gunther was slightly taken aback.

"There are twelve different wines being served?"

"Of course. Usually there are more, but the Chamberlain decided not to order so many this year. And there are only two barrels of each instead of three," she gossiped. "Don't tell the king."

"I won't," Gunther said, second-guessing his decision to get drunk. It took him a moment to realize they were both staring at him expectantly. "Don't you two have work to do?"

"The pies for supper aren't due out of the oven for another half an hour," Pepper said.

"And there really isn't anything for me to do in the garden until the festival," Rake added.

"Ah, well, would you like to join me then?" Gunther asked. They immediately agreed, and Gunther realized he'd been had. He supposed he should be used to it by now.

They were liberally tasting the third wine when Sir Ivon bustled into the kitchen and snatched up a piece of hard cheese.

"Insane, that's what you all are," he declared to the trio in his thick Scottish brogue. "Absolutely insane."

"Sir?" Gunther asked more timidly than he would have liked. He had a bad feeling he knew exactly what the knight was talking about.

"Don't 'sir' me, lad," the knight said, walking up to Gunther and pointing a finger at him. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Going and getting married like it isn't the end of your life. I'm telling you now, you'll regret it."

"I already regret it," Gunther muttered to himself.

Rake and Pepper stared at him in amazement.

"You're getting married?" Rake asked.

"Oh! How wonderful!" Pepper chirped. "I didn't even know you were courting anyone."

Gunther sank into his chair and didn't bother to hide his grimace. Pepper kept talking, obliviously.

"To think, all this time you've been wooing some lady and we never knew! Who is she then? It must be someone in the castle."

"Ay, lass," Sir Ivon said. "I never thought I'd see the day. They're ruined on each other, I swear it."

"Well, who is it?" Pepper asked.

"You don't want to know," Gunther groaned and emptied his glass.

* * *

><p>To say that Sir Theodore was disappointed was an understatement. The knight had trained many squires in his day and seen the worst and the best behavior imaginable. This engagement, however, was in a category of its own.<p>

"Jane!" he called upon seeing the young woman biding time at her post with Jester, who should have been preparing the night's entertainment for the royal family. "I would like a word with you."

The redhead straightened guiltily and furrowed her brow, but obediently broke away from her companion. Jester hung back and watched his friend closely, clearly ready to help her in whatever way he could should she need it.

"Yes, sir?"

"I must say that I am most disappointed in you, Jane. I thought that becoming a knight was your greatest ambition."

"It is, sir. There is nothing I want more," Jane said, worry starting to cloud her expression.

"Really," Sir Theodore asked levelly. He could see that Jane was in earnest, but he knew from experience to mistrust her earnestness as much as he mistrusted the candor of Gunther's reports. Each one of them was still far too self-interested to be the kind of knights Sir Theodore wanted them to be.

"Yes," Jane replied. "Being a knight has been my dream for as long as I can remember. I should not have allowed myself to be so distracted from my duties, sir."

Jester, a few yards away, turned his back and rather obviously began whistling the opening bars of 'The Waking of Gentle Sam'. The old knight raised a sardonic eyebrow at him and returned his attention to his squire.

"If you are so determined to be a knight, Squire Jane," Sir Theodore said slowly "perhaps you could explain to me why you find it necessary to marry at such a young age. I thought you would at least wait until you had been a knight a few years before undertaking such a commitment. Most knights do."

"Sir?" Jane said, throwing a confused glance at the equally bewildered Jester who faltered in his whistling. "What are you talking about? I'm not getting married."

"The king is under a different impression."

"The king? Why would he-"

"Merchant Magnus requested your hand for Gunther not more than half an hour ago. The king and your father thought it an excellent match."

"He what?" Jester yelled, no longer pretending not to listen. "How dare he?"

"What do you mean he 'asked for my hand'? He has no right to do that!" Jane shouted at the same time.

"On the contrary, Squire Jane, he has every right. For men and women of our class," he said with a glance at Jester "marriage is a business transaction often carried out by the parents of the couple involved. Magnus is looking out for the best interests of his son."

"But Gunther is a squire as well. How could a marriage now, let alone a marriage to me, be anything like his 'best interests'?"

"Indeed," Sir Theodore said. "That is an excellent question. Perhaps you should ask your intended."

Jane ran a trembling hand through her unruly hair and began to pace.

"He's not my intended," she said adamantly. "I never gave my consent. I can't imagine that Gunther has. He can't do this. He has no right to do this. I'll go to the king."

Sir Theodore observed Jane descend into panic. Encouragingly, her panic, though worrying in itself, did not seem to immobilize her. She was working through the problem as any good knight would, and coming to a solution which she could implement with some confidence. It was a pity that her resolution would likely come to nothing.

"Jane," Sir Theodore said. "If it is true that you did not consent to this engagement, then my faith in you was not misplaced after all."

The words had the calming effect on her that he intended.

"However," he continued smoothly. "I do not believe the king will be so easily swayed in your favor. There was much talk of a double wedding."

"A double wedding?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "A wedding in which not only you and Gunther will be wed, but your friends, Rake and Pepper, as well. The king was most excited."

Jane and Jester both stared at him with horror-wide eyes. "But they plan to be wed the day of the planting festival," Jane said. "That's in less than a week!"

"It is," Sir Theodore agreed. "I suggest you work out a plan of action before then."

With a nod at his squire and a piercing look at her friend, the knight spun on his heel and headed to his rooms. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what would come of all this. A relaxing evening with his books was required.

* * *

><p>Jane stalked into the barracks with purpose the next morning and found Gunther lying in a heap upon his hammock. She drew her practice sword and clanged it against a helmet as hard as she could. She knew it was wrong to take such pleasure from her maliciousness, but she couldn't bring herself to mind at the moment.<p>

Gunther groaned and Jane hit the helmet again.

"Stop that banging," Gunther pleaded from under his blanket. "My head hurts too much to stand that banging."

Jane picked up the helmet, held it close to her fellow squire's ear, and hit it again, this time getting a shriek in response.

"It's after ten o'clock, you lazy cur. You should have been up more than three hours ago."

"Jane?" Gunther squeaked and threw off his blanket to face her. The motion unbalanced him from his bed and deposited him roughly on the floor. He immediately flinched in pain and buried his head in his hands with an agonized moan.

"Well, what do you expect after drinking so heavily last night? Pepper tells me you finished off the better part of three skeins of wine by yourself. It's no wonder you feel so dreadful now."

"Oh, stop with the lecturing," Gunther whined, barely lifting his head from his arms. "We're not even married yet and you're already treating me like I'm some hen-pecked mother's lout." Gunther stilled and looked up from his hands after he said this. His eyes were wide with trepidation. Jane straightened her shoulders.

"About that," she said calmly. "Just what were you thinking when you asked the king for my hand?"

"Ah, listen, Jane," Gunther said, backing himself against the wall. "It wasn't my idea. I didn't even ask the king-"

"No, your father did that well enough on his own, didn't he?" Jane snapped. "What's he planning? Why on earth would he think it was a good idea for the two of us to be married?"

"Um," Gunther prevaricated. Jane held her sword in position near the helmet again.

"All right, all right! I'll tell you," Gunther groaned. "Just stop hitting that thing already, will you?" Jane placed the helmet back on the shelf where she found it and sheathed her sword. Gunther grimaced, but explained.

"He wants us married so that he can reap the profits," he said shortly. Jane wrinkled her brow.

"But my father's not that rich," she said. "My dowry is barely worth mentioning. What profits could he hope to gain?"

"Isn't it?" Gunther asked curiously. Jane glared at him and he answered her with a sigh.

"It seems that after Rake asked for Pepper's hand, my father heard that the king plans to give them some extra money to start their life off together."

Jane blinked.

"A few shillings, maybe, but I don't see why that would lead your father to think the king would settle anything greater on me," Jane said innocently.

"Well, the king likes you," Gunther said painfully, gingerly rubbing one side of his head.

"The king likes almost everybody. What has that to do with anything?"

"I mean, the king _really_ likes you," Gunther said, dropping his hand and staring up at her piercingly. The look was rather off-putting considering his bloodshot eyes. Jane crossed her arms and waited for Gunther to get to the point. With a moan and a pleading look to the rafters, he continued.

"Haven't you noticed that the king pays you far more attention than any lowly squire should rightfully get? He barely notices me half so much and I've been in training here since I was nine!" Gunther said somewhat indignantly. Jane guessed his wine-head was responsible for the 'somewhat' part.

"What are you suggesting?" she asked.

Gunther sighed.

"The king favors you, Jane! If you were to get married, he'd likely give you a goodly portion of the kingdom as a wedding present. In his genius," Gunther said spitefully "my father thought that if you married me, I would rightfully get half-ownership to whatever was yours, as your husband."

"And you would of course pass on the wealth to him," Jane surmised.

"Of course," Gunther said bitterly. He carefully leaned his head back against the wall and squeezed shut his eyes.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Jane stated.

"There's nothing we can do about it now," Gunther said, raising a hand to his forehead this time. "The king has already approved the match."

"You're not thinking like a knight," Jane said forcefully. "We have to fight this!"

"You can't fight tradition, Jane," Gunther said weakly. "The terms have already been set. We just have to get on with it as best we can."

"I'm the first girl knight, Gunther," Jane declared. "I've refused to cede to tradition before and I refuse to do it now. You can help me, or not, but I will break this match!"

With that, Jane spun on her heel and left Gunther on the floor of the barracks, determined to settle this marriage nonsense once and for all.

* * *

><p>Princess Lavinia was most excited about the upcoming wedding. She was finally going to be Jane's flower girl and prepare her to be the most beautiful bride in the world. As soon as she heard the news, the twelve year old determined to follow her father everywhere to make sure that nothing went awry for her favorite person's biggest day.<p>

It had been decided that both couples would be wed at the same time in the royal garden after all the necessary rituals had been performed in the planting festival. The combined wedding would act as a final prayer for the fields to be fertile and the food plentiful throughout the year.

The princess was pleased that so many of her suggestions were going to be carried out. She had been the one to decide that Jane and Pepper would each wear garlands of ivy in their hair with blue ribbons trailing down their backs. She had also decided that the grooms should make bouquets of flowers for the brides to carry so that each could serve as a message of what they thought of their partners.

Gunther, unfortunately, was nowhere to be found, but when the princess spied Rake tending to the hedges in the royal garden, she broke away from the conversation her father was having about some sort of play with an unusually anxious and despondent Jester and walked gracefully over to him.

"Hello, Rake," she said authoritatively.

"Oh, good morning, princess," the gardener said with a bow.

"Are you excited to be getting married?"

"Yes," Rake said. "Excited and terrified. Not that I'm not going to go through with it," he said quickly. "Pepper is a dream."

Princess Lavinia waited for him to continue, but the gardener began to stare at a nearby flower with a faraway look on his face. The princess held back a giggle.

"I don't know why you would be terrified to be getting married," the princess said. "It seems like such fun with the dancing and the dresses and everything. I can't wait to get married."

"Oh, it's not the marriage part that terrifies me," Rake said amiably. "It's the people."

The princess looked at him oddly.

"I always get very nervous when I'm around so many important people," Rake explained. "It's much easier to just stick with my plants. I know I'm doing things right when I'm with them."

Princess Lavinia had no idea what the gardener was talking about, but she usually felt that way around the commoners. Their minds worked differently.

"Well, since you like plants so much," she said confidently "you're going to love the task I have for you."

As expected, Rake stood a little taller and asked, "Yes, your Highness?"

"I've decided that you and Gunther will make bouquets of flowers symbolizing how you feel about Pepper and Jane so that they can carry them in the wedding," the princess stated.

"What an excellent idea!" Rake said excitedly. "There are so many things you can say with flowers. Let's see. For Pepper I would have to have primroses, and heartsease, anemones would be good, and maybe some amaranth. Oh, I could think of this all day!"

"Good," Princess Lavinia said happily. "I knew you would like it. Now if I could only find Gunther."

"Gunther? Why do you need to talk to him?" the gardener asked politely.

"To tell him about the flowers, silly!" the princess said. "He'll need to make a bouquet for Jane."

"Oh, right. Well, that should be an interesting conversation," Rake said, trying to hold back a smile.

Princess Lavinia was about to ask him why it would be such an interesting conversation when an odd jingling sounded from the other side of the garden. When the princess turned to look, she saw Jane having a stilted conversation with her father who kept gleefully interrupting her. Jester was mechanically replacing his hat while staring palely at a bouquet of flowers in the squire's hand.

"Oh look!" the princess said. "Gunther must have found out about the flowers. He's already given them to Jane."

Princess Lavinia picked up the hem of her dress to make her stately way over to join the conversation on the other side of the garden when she saw her father dismiss both Jane and Jester and walk off toward his throne room. Jane, looking distressed, spotted the princess and Rake and walked toward them, Jester following behind in a daze. The princess let her skirt fall.

"Your Highness," Jane said with a bow. Jester was still staring at the flowers in Jane's hand.

"Hello, Jane; Jester," the princess said. "Those are some very pretty flowers you have, Jane."

"Oh, yes," Jane said distractedly. "I passed by my room a few minutes ago and found them on my bed."

"Sounds like you have a secret admirer," Rake said with a grin.

"A secret- that's ridiculous. Who would go to the trouble?" Jane asked.

"I think I know who," the princess sang with a knowing smile.

"You do?" Jester jerked and finally lifted his eyes from the flowers.

"Gunther of course!" Princess Lavinia said happily. "I was going to tell him to make your bouquet for the wedding, Jane, but he already has. It must be true love."

"True love," Jane said blankly. "Right."

"Well, the flowers do indicate someone who thinks very highly of you," Rake said.

"How do you know that?" Jane asked, glancing at them. "They're just a bunch of flowers."

"It's the language of love, Jane," the princess explained. "When lovers want each other to know how they feel without saying anything, they send flowers to say it for them."

"Why can't they just say what they mean to each other instead?" Jane asked frankly. "It seems like it would cause more problems being so indirect than to just come out and say what you want."

"It's the tradition of courtly love, Jane," Jester said quietly. "Not everyone can just say what they want."

"But isn't courtly love usually between two people who are each already married to someone else?" Jane asked, turning to him.

"W-well, not everyone who practices it is necessarily married already," Jester said nervously. The princess wondered why he was acting so strangely today.

"I think it's romantic," she said, turning everyone's attention back to her.

"It can be," Rake said. "I give Pepper fresh flowers everyday. She says it's the most romantic thing a man can do for a woman."

"Yes, well, that might be taking things a bit far," Jester said, avoiding eye contact with anyone else.

Jane watched him a moment with her brow furrowed. Clearly the princess wasn't the only one to notice Jester's odd behavior.

"Well, then," Jane said, turning back to Rake and the princess. "If these flowers say something, I might as well know what it is."

"Let me see," Rake stepped forward. "There are daffodils, which can represent respect, but I think it more likely that the giver feels an unrequited love for you."

"Why would they mean that?" Jane asked, her face more pale than usual.

"Well, there are also yellow tulips from the south wall of the garden in there. They mean hopeless love. And I think I see white violets as well," he said.

"And what do those mean?" Jane asked.

"Well, they're basically asking you to take a chance."

"'Take a chance'?" Jane echoed.

"Yes, take a chance on your admirer and see if you can't return his love," the gardener said softly, looking up into Jane's wide eyes.

"Oh Jane, you're so lucky!" Princess Lavinia exclaimed. "Gunther must really love you!"

"Gunther, right," Jane said absently, her eyes staring off at the nearest wall. The princess noticed and opened her mouth to ask Jane why she wasn't happier, but the lady in waiting called from across the garden, announcing dinner.

"You had better go eat, your Highness," Jane said, snapping out of her thoughts. "You don't want my mother nagging at you all afternoon because you were late, do you?"

"No," the princess sighed. "You will dance with me at the wedding, right, Jane?"

"Nothing would make me happier, Princess," the squire said with a tight smile. The princess grinned at her and left to meet her Ladyship, but lingered behind a hedge for a moment in the hopes of hearing Jane confiding her problems to her older friends. Luckily, as soon as she was out of sight, Rake asked Jane what was wrong. Princess Lavinia peered through a gap in the shrubbery to see them.

"It's just, even if Gunther did feel that way toward me – which he doesn't," Jane said quickly "he couldn't have left these flowers in my room. He was still in bed with a wine-head when I spoke to him less than an hour ago. He's probably still lying there feeling sorry for himself."

"I suppose that does make sense with the way he was acting last night." Rake said thoughtfully. "But who else could have left them, then?"

"That's why I'm so confused," Jane said, looking at Jester. "I have no idea."

The princess noticed that Jester, looking more miserable than ever, wasn't looking at either of his companions before her nurse called for her again and she was forced to leave them. She thought she might know what was wrong with him now.

* * *

><p>Dragon was pouting in his cave. It was one thing for the gardener and the cook to get married – they were already fairly boring in the first place – but Jane getting married was another thing entirely. And to Gunther of all people. It was inexcusable.<p>

Dragon tapped his claws on the cave floor and shifted his weight around. The really inexcusable thing wasn't that Jane was getting married; no, it was that Dragon had found out about it from gossip being bandied about by the royal family. He'd have thought Jane would at least have the decency to tell him about such an important event first before saying anything to them.

Dragon snorted smoke and laid his head down. Some friend. He blew thin a trail of flame across the floor to see if any of the pebbles would move. They didn't.

"Dragon?" a familiar voice called from he cave entrance. Dragon picked himself off the ground and moved so that his back was to the door.

"Dragon?" Jane repeated from a spot to the right of his tail. He twitched it.

"I'm not sure I'm speaking to you," he said petulantly.

"Why not?" Jane asked. Dragon snaked his neck around to see her.

"Because, you are a secret-keeper!" he huffed and turned his head back around.

"I haven't seen you all day!" Jane protested. "How could I possibly be keeping secrets from you?"

"Oh, because you marrying that upstart Gunther isn't a secret, is it?" Dragon said, rearing around to stick his snout in her face.

"I only found out about this sham of a marriage last night. When was I supposed to tell you about it? I haven't been able to find you," she retorted, hands on her hips.

Dragon narrowed his eyes and twitched his tail again. "What do you mean you only found out last night?"

"Sir Theodore told me about it when I was on guard duty last night. He was there when the merchant asked the king's permission to marry me to Gunther. I've been trying to figure out how to get out of it, but everyone's either too busy preparing for the festival or they're so excited about the wedding that it's impossible to get a word in."

Dragon considered the girl for a moment. He suddenly felt a lot better about life in general.

"So, you don't want to marry Gunther?" he asked.

"No," Jane said truthfully.

"And you weren't keeping secrets from me?"

"I'd never."

"And when's the wedding?"

"In two days," Jane said despondently. "Less than that now, actually," she said, glancing out at the late afternoon sky. "I'm starting to think it will take me refusing Gunther in front of everybody in order to get out of it."

"I could always eat the merchant for you. Nobody would really miss him."

"Dragon," Jane scolded.

"No, really! Just one bite," Dragon mimed eating someone "and all your troubles would go away."

"Dragon, you're not eating anybody," Jane said firmly, her hands on her hips. "And that wouldn't solve anything anyway. I'm still engaged to Gunther."

"So, break off the engagement," Dragon said flippantly. "I don't see what all the fuss is about."

"It's more complicated than that," Jane sighed and flopped down on a nearby rock. "The king has approved the match and he'd need to break it officially for me to get out of it."

Dragon still wondered what the problem was.

"Why don't you just go to the king and ask him to break the engagement then?" he asked. "You're always going to him for everything else; I don't see why this is so different."

"The thing is-" Jane stood up and walked over to the lip of the cave entrance. "The thing is that the king really wants me to be happy, and he thinks that my marrying Gunther will do that." She sighed. "I tried talking to him about it earlier today but he was so excited about the wedding that I couldn't bring myself to ask him to stop it."

"But, Jane," Dragon said, coming up to her and following her gaze down to the castle. "You're not happy about it."

"I know. I just wish I knew how to tell the king that."

"Easy. You go up to him and say, 'I don't want to marry Gunther,'" he shrilly tried to imitate his friend's voice. "'I'll be most unhappy if I do.' And then he'll cancel the wedding and everything will be fine."

Jane laughed shortly. "Yes, I'm sure that will work splendidly."

"Of course it will," Dragon said confidently. "Then when you're done you can come flying with me and leave all this marriage nonsense behind."

Jane was silent longer than Dragon thought necessary, and he peered at her in concern.

"There's something else, isn't there?" he asked.

"What?" Jane asked, pulling out of her thoughts and looking up at him.

"There's something else bothering you," Dragon said.

"I," Jane blinked. "Well- yes."

Dragon waited a few moments.

"Well? Out with it! You can't expect me to solve your problems without even knowing what they are," Dragon said impatiently.

Jane smiled faintly then said, "I- someone left flowers on my bed this morning. As a sort of love token, and I, well, I'm not quite sure what to do about it."

She looked up at Dragon nervously, as though expecting a bad reaction. He huffed smoke out of his mouth unhappily. He'd been expecting this for a while.

"It wasn't Gunther trying to play along with this marriage rubbish, was it?" he asked dully.

"No," Jane said. "He's as against it as I am."

"Do you know who left them?" he asked, not quite meeting her eye.

"I think so," Jane said quietly, still watching for his reaction. "Unless Prince Cuthbert has suddenly decided to declare his undying love to me, I've got a pretty good idea who they're from."

"Jane," Dragon said disgustedly. "Don't even joke about the prince like that. I do not need those images in my head." Jane laughed.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. You looked like you were preparing for me to tell you I was dying or something."

"Don't joke about that either," Dragon grouched.

"Sorry," she said sincerely and laid a hand on his paw. Dragon huffed, actually pleased with her attention.

"Yeah, yeah," he said. "Come out with it already. You think the person who left you the flowers was Floppy Hat. There, I said it."

"How did you- What makes you think it was Jester?" Jane asked, taking a step back.

"Oh please, Jane, it's only obvious to everyone who has eyes," Dragon said, batting his at her rather obnoxiously. Her shocked expression didn't change. "That boy has liked you, as in like-liked you, for ages. I've been blessing my stars it's taken you this long to notice."

"I have noticed, actually," Jane said carefully. "I've been hoping he'd get over it at some point."

"Have you?" Dragon said hopefully. She didn't look like she was lying.

"Yes. I wasn't sure what I'd do if he, well, if he did something like this," she said, looking back down at the castle again.

"So you don't like-like him back?" Dragon asked, hoping the answer would be no.

"I- I don't know," she said instead and wrapped her arms around herself. Dragon tried not to be too disappointed.

"How can you not know," he pouted. "You either do or you don't. It's not like second helpings on dessert."

"I haven't thought about it much," she said. "I try to concentrate on becoming a knight. That's the most important thing to me right now. I don't want anything to get in the way of that."

"More important than me, is it?" Dragon taunted.

"Dragon, you know you're my best friend. Whatever else happens, you'll always be that to me."

"Yeah," Dragon agreed. "But lovers can take the place of best friends," he said unhappily.

"Dragon," Jane said, looking up at him with fond eyes and caressing his paw. "I promise you that whatever lovers I may or may not have in the future, you will still be my best and closest friend."

Dragon preened happily then looked thoughtfully back at the castle.

"Remember when everyone thought you and Gunther were courting?" Dragon said abruptly. Jane blinked and peered up at him.

"Ye-es," she said slowly.

"Well, you did a pretty good job of putting him off then, didn't you?"

"I suppose," Jane said, clearly still unsure where he was going with this. Dragon rolled his eyes.

"So, you go up to Jingle Boy and tell him that he's a great friend, but he'll never be as good or as handsome as your best friend, and leave it at that."

"Dragon," Jane scolded. "I can't tell him that."

"Sure you can. It's the truth after all. He'll just have to get used to the fact that he's not good enough," Dragon said his nose up in the air. He looked down at Jane from the corner of his eye. She smiled sadly and shook her head.

"Come on, you big lizard," she laughed. "Let's go on patrol."

"Now, that's what I'm talking about," Dragon said, lowering his head so that Jane could climb on his neck.

"Oh, by the way," Jane said as they took off. "The king would like you to do some sort of aerial display at the festival. Something to wow and amaze the villagers."

"Jane," Dragon said patiently. "I am not a short-life entertainer; I am a scary and ferocious dragon."

"Of course you are," she agreed amiably. "Those loops you just flew were not entertaining at all."

"I'll show you loops," Dragon said and began spinning and flipping through the air like an eel. Jane's laughter echoed through the valley below and Dragon grinned contentedly. He really was happiest when flying with Jane.

* * *

><p>Adeline Turnkey, the queen's primary lady in waiting, was waiting impatiently for her daughter to make an appearance with the rest of the staff and court in the throne room the next morning. Even the merchant was here already. Her Ladyship really had no idea what was keeping her daughter.<p>

When Jane had determined to become a knight all those years ago, Adeline struggled to ensure that her daughter would still grow up to be a lady in demeanor if not in practice. Typically, Jane rebelled and spent even more time with her male friends and that smelly beast than she had before.

Thus, the older she became, the less Adeline hoped that her daughter would marry well and give her grandchildren. Now, however, all her hopes for her daughter were coming true. Jane was getting married. Granted, the match was not as good as it could have been, but the merchant's son was in training to become a knight, and Jane herself was in the king's favor. Her Ladyship had never been more proud.

When the king entered with the rest of the royal family, everyone stood to attention.

"As you know," the king said once he had ascended the dais. "I have called you all here to discuss the final plans for tomorrow's festivities. It will be a great day. We will start the planting rituals at – where is Jane?" he said suddenly.

The room shifted nervously and Adeline looked around desperately for her daughter.

"Gunther," the king called.

"Yes, sir?" the squire stepped forward, looking nearly as rattled as Adeline felt.

"Where is your intended?"

"Ah, sir, no one has seen her yet this morning," he replied boldly. Adeline had no idea how he and Jane could stand to tell such things to the king on a regular basis.

"Indeed," the king said. "This is most distressing. We can't ensure that things go smoothly tomorrow if one of the brides isn't even here."

Adeline noticed that Gunther and the gardener were shifting in place as though they knew something. She looked up at the king and saw that he seemed to notice as well.

"Gunther," the king said. "Do you know where Jane is?"

"I-"

"Look father!" Princess Lavinia said from the window. "Here come Jane and Dragon now."

Everyone turned to look, and indeed, a few moments later Jane entered the throne room as though nothing were wrong. She was windswept and rumpled as usual, Adeline noticed.

"My apologies for my tardiness, your Majesty," Jane said, striding up beside Gunther and dipping into a quick bow. The other squire looked at her warily. "I was talking to Dragon about the wedding tomorrow."

"Were you?" the king asked. "Will Dragon still be performing those aerial tricks we talked about yesterday?"

"Dragon already planned to do something for the festival, your Majesty."

"Excellent," the king said.

"Sire," Jane said quickly, then stopped. "I- I'm not sure how to say this, but, I cannot marry Gunther tomorrow."

Everyone in the room made various sounds of disbelief. Adeline dropped her head in her hand.

"Indeed," the king said warningly. "And why not, young Jane?"

"As much as I value Gunther as a friend and compatriot, sire," she said with a quick glance in his direction. "I fear that if I marry him I – well, we might kill each other before the month is out."

Shockingly, the blacksmith let a snort of amusement at this and Pepper tittered before she could stop herself. Even the gardener was grinning like a madman. At least Jester had the grace to look shocked, even if there was the hint of a smile on his face.

"It's true sir," Gunther said before the king could recover himself. "A marriage between Jane and myself could really only end in disaster." Jane smiled at him and he grinned weakly back at her. He seemed to be standing taller than before, as well. Adeline really had no idea what was wrong with this generation. Clearly the pair got on famously.

"This is ridiculous!" the merchant shouted and strode forward. "Your Majesty, they have no idea what they're saying. It's cold feet about the wedding, if anything, sire. They-"

"That will be all, Magnus," the king declared. The merchant nodded stiffly and grudgingly went back to his place. "I must say, I am most shocked to hear this, most shocked indeed," he said seriously. "How is it that two of my loyal subjects were engaged seemingly completely against their will? Jane? Gunther?"

The two squires looked at each other briefly before Jane replied, "I think it was all one big misunderstanding, your Majesty."

"A 'misunderstanding'?" the king asked flatly.

"Yes, sire," Gunther said. "My father hears me talk of Jane so often that he must have thought I fancied her. Which I don't," he said quickly, glancing at Jane. "At all." She raised an eyebrow at him and he rolled his eyes and shrugged slightly. Adeline sighed hopelessly.

"And I was so overcome with the thought that you might marry that I forgot to consider either of your wishes on the matter," the king said slowly. "A very large misunderstanding, indeed."

"Sire," Adeline's husband spoke "does this mean Jane and Gunther will not be getting married tomorrow?" The two squires stood taller on hearing this and faced the king stoically.

"I think," King Caradoc said slowly, looking at Jane and Gunther carefully "that there will be no double wedding tomorrow." Both squires let out sighs of relief and grinned up at him. Across the room, the merchant huffed in frustration. "Furthermore," he continued "the wedding that will take place will be a small affair performed at sunrise," he said, looking at the cook and the gardener. "That is what the both of you would prefer, is it not?"

"Yes, sire," Pepper said, beaming alternately at the king and her future husband. "A small wedding in the vegetable garden." The gardener looked ready to faint with joy.

"See to it, then," the king said kindly. "And the rest of you should see to it that every pick is sharpened and every spade is ready for the planting festival tomorrow. I want nothing to prevent our crops from growing green and plentiful this year."

The king waited until the various nods and murmurs of agreement stopped before he continued.

"Jester," he said.

"Yes, sire?"

"Is that new play ready for tomorrow evening?"

"Yes sir," the fool answered with a bow, then stood up awkwardly, glancing at Jane. "But I think I might need to change the ending a bit."

"Keep it," the king commanded with a sparkle in his eye. "If it is sad, then the sorrow we feel from watching it will be only momentary. If it is happy, then our joy will stay with us throughout the day."

"Yes, sire," Jester said with another bow.

"You are dismissed," the king announced, and everyone began to disperse. Adeline saw Jane clap Gunther on the back and turn to no doubt thank the king for stopping her wedding.

Adeline sighed again and turned to leave, trying to shake off her despondent thoughts. She was sure the squires' marriage would not have been as difficult as they both swore it would be, but she was used to her daughter's mulish ways by now. She had no doubt the girl had likely talked Gunther into supporting her claim against the match. Perhaps it was for the best that he was not to be her son-in-law after all. Still, it was a pity she would not see any grandchildren for at least a few more years yet.

"Mother," Jane's voice called from behind her. She turned and saw her daughter walk apologetically toward her. "Are you terribly disappointed?" she asked.

"Well, of course I'm disappointed, Jane," Adeline said candidly. "I still want you to make a good marriage, someday, no matter how much you insist on becoming a knight. It's a woman's place."

"I'm not interested in taking a woman's place in the world, Mother. I'm interested in taking my own place in it, as knight if possible. I want to be happy."

"I'm happy as I am, Jane. Short a few grandchildren," she said pointedly. "But happy."

"And that's great for you, Mother," Jane said. "But I'm most happy as I am. As a knight. I think the king understands that."

"Yes, dear," Adeline said. "I am trying to understand it as well. But I did have the most beautiful gown for you to wear tomorrow."

"Mother," Jane whined.

"It was your grandmother's wedding dress and mine. I thought you might want to carry on the tradition yourself."

Jane regarded her carefully for a few moments.

"Why don't I help you put it away?" she suggested. "And if I ever do marry I'll consider wearing it."

Adeline raised her eyes to the rafters. "Well, if that's the best I'm going to get from you, I might as well take advantage of it while I can."

"Good," Jane said and took her arm to escort her to her chamber.

"I do want grandchildren someday, Jane. Don't think I've given up," Adeline said, looking down at Jane's calloused hands. Perhaps it was for the best that Jane wouldn't wear her wedding dress. She'd likely ruin it just putting it on.

"Mother," Jane whined again. Adeline smiled. At least some things about her daughter would never change.

* * *

><p>"Does my hair look all right, Jane?" Pepper asked early the next morning.<p>

"It looks stunning," the squire replied admiringly. "I had no idea it was so long."

"Well, you can't expect me to let it hang down into all that food, can you?" Pepper teased.

"No," Jane laughed. "I suppose not. Has Rake ever seen it down?"

"No, I wanted to surprise him," Pepper smiled. She could hardly wait to see the gardener's face when he saw her. Washed face, hair falling past her waist, not a hint of flour about her. She was even wearing a new dress she'd had made from some of her savings. She giggled in anticipation.

"You look beautiful," Princess Lavinia's voice said from behind her. Pepper turned around.

"Do you really think so, your Highness?" she asked.

"Yes," she said definitively. "The most beautiful bride ever." Pepper caught Jane's smile from behind the princess.

"Right then," Pepper said, clapping her hands together gently. "Everything is ready. Are the boys outside yet, Jane?"

The squire looked through the bars on the kitchen window. "Yes," she said and laughed. "Rake looks like he's about to fall over into the radishes."

"Oh, dear," Pepper said, walking over to her friend. "We should go out there then. It is nearly sunrise, isn't it?"

"I see just a hint of orange in the sky," Jane said "so the timing is perfect."

"Wait," Princess Lavinia called as they turned to go up the stairs. "Pepper, you're not wearing your garland," she said, holding up a crown of ivy and blue ribbon.

"But I thought those were for the double wedding," Pepper said.

"No, I wanted it for you as well," the princess said. "I knew the ribbons would look lovely in your hair. You will wear it, won't you?"

Pepper leaned on Jane and blinked tears from her eyes. She never thought anyone in the royal family thought more than twice about her.

"I'd be honored to, your Little Majesty," she said. The princess grinned and carefully placed the crown on her head.

"There," she said. "Now you really look like a bride."

Pepper closed her eyes happily. "I'm really getting married," she said. "And the king is going to let me stay in the kitchens a while longer…. This really is the happiest day of my life."

"Pepper," Jane said, taking hold of her arm. "What do you mean the king is going to let you stay in the kitchens? Why wouldn't you stay on here?"

"Jane," Princess Lavinia said. "You can't expect Pepper to keep working when she's married."

"Why not?" the redhead asked. "My mother does it. Pepper is perfectly capable of working and being a wife at the same time."

"It's not a matter of being capable, Jane," Pepper explained. "I want to have a large family someday. I'm going to stay on just long enough to train new kitchen staff, and then Rake and I will take on rooms in the village."

Jane looked like a lost child.

"But, I don't want to lose you," she said.

"You're not losing me, Petal," Pepper said, placing a hand on Jane's cheek. "I'm getting married, not dying."

"It's just- things won't be the same around here without you. I never thought that you might leave."

"Pepper," Jester called, poking his head around the doorway. "What is the holdup? The sun is almost entirely up by now."

"Sorry, Jester," she said. "We're coming up right now."

"Right," Jane said, putting on a smile. "Tell Rake to breathe," she called.

"I will," Jester grinned and disappeared.

"You will visit?" Jane asked, a frown marring her forehead.

"How could I not?" Pepper asked. "All my favorite people live here."

Jane smiled warmly this time and let go of her arm. Princess Lavinia grinned at them.

Pepper took a breath, took a step, and looked back at the other two girls.

"Wish me luck," she said with a wink, and continued up the rest of the stairs.

Behind her, she heard the princess whisper, "Give this to Jester," and caught her handing something white to Jane and winking. She figured she'd ask her friend about it later.

As she entered the garden, Pepper saw the man she loved waiting for her. His face looked just like she imagined it would when he saw her, and he held a large bouquet of flowers for her in his hands.

She took a further step into the garden and giggled with joy. With each step, she giggled a little more until both she and Rake were both laughing, eyes glued on each other and hands clasped.

They were hopeless.

_Fin._

* * *

><p><strong>I still can't decide how pleased with this I am after reading it over again, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. There are the beginning fragments of a sequel to this on my flash drive, but I have no idea where I was going with it and I have no intention of picking it up again unless I get an overwhelming response begging me to. <strong>


End file.
